06/24/2012 05:05Kentoine Johnson

Josesito Lopez called it the chance of a lifetime.

Turns out it was even bigger than that.

Lopez, a late replacement in the welterweight fight, stopped former welterweight champion Victor Ortiz in a ninth round technical knockout Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, breaking Ortiz's jaw en route to a stunning upset victory.

Lopez landed a powerful left hook on Ortiz's jaw late in the ninth that looked to be the punch that did the ultimate damage, although a dazed Ortiz said he thought it happened early in the round.

Ortiz did not answer the bell for the 10th round, as the fighter said he could not close his mouth.

Ortiz outlanded Lopez overall, landing 147 punches to Lopez's 122, but Lopez outworked Ortiz in power punches, landing 110 of 203 (36%), while Ortiz connected on 99 of 221 (45%).

All three judges, Kermit Bayless, Marty Denkin and Pat Russell, had Ortiz ahead when the fight was stopped.

Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs), his face battered and bruised, and his left eye nearly swollen shut after a vicious all-action fight, leaped onto the ropes flashing an ear-to-ear grin to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in recent years.

Lopez took the fight last month as a replacement for Berto, who failed a doping test that ended any hopes for his rematch with Ortiz. Lopez also had a fight against Kendall Holt fall out when Holt decided against a venue change.

I told everyone I was going to shock the world," a delirously happy Lopez said. "Today's my day. Today's my day.

"I'm excited. I had to fight the fight of my life to win. I knew I caught him every round. I might not have thrown the majority of the punches, but the ones I was throwing, I knew I was connecting."

The loss was a crushing blow for Ortiz (29-4-2). In a controversial move by his promoter, Golden Boy, Ortiz had a potentially huge super welterweight title bout set with undefeated Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez for Sept. 15 in Las Vegas, and all he had to do was win or draw. He did neither.

Alvarez, who was sitting ringside, shook his head after the stunning finish, not quite sure what he had just witnessed. Alvarez will need to find another opponent, and it likely will not be Lopez, who had moved up from 140 pounds to fight Ortiz at 147. It might be asking too much for the slender fighter to move up two weight classes.

Asked afterward if his jaw was broken, Ortiz said, "Yes, Josesito busted my jaw. But it's OK. I'll be fine. My coaches wanted me to keep going, but I couldn't close my mouth."

Indeed, Ortiz was shown spitting up blood in his corner and lockerroom after the fight.

"I knew he was good, I knew he was good," Ortiz said of Lopez.

Lopez went down in the fifth round after Ortiz hit him behind the head. It was not a knockdown, but Lopez had to be checked out by the ring doctor before continuing.

"It hurt," Lopez said afterward. "Was I quitting? No, I don't quit."

While Ortiz exhibited the superior power and boxing skills throughout, Lopez used a longer reach to counterpunch and connect enough with his right hands and left hooks to keep the fight close.

Asked whether he would give Ortiz a rematch, Lopez said, "They got a rematch clause. Let's do it. As long as I'm ready, I'll fight anybody. I'm the Mexican Paul Williams."

That was a reference to the fighter who was recently paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, who was once considered the most avoided fighter in boxing.

Argentina's Lucas Matthysse became the first fighter to stop Mexico's Humberto Soto with a fifth-round TKO on the undercard at Staples Center.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/story/2012-06-23/Lopez-tops-Ortiz-in-stunning-upset/55787520/1